Sony is already established as an electronics manufacturer, a videogames company, and a mobile phone brand linked with Ericsson. Not for the first time the Japanese company is rumored to be bringing together the different aspects of its core businesses and developing a new mobile phone with a focus on gaming.

The news is being reported by Reuters as reported on the Nikkei business daily. Apparently a team is being created by Sony management to work on this new device that would create a mobile phone capable of being a solid gaming device. The aim is to produce a product that can compete with the iPhone, but backed by the Sony (and possibly PlayStation?) name already well-known in the gaming markets.

It is thought the link will remain with the Ericsson name, but at the moment this is all speculation until Sony comment or announce something. Right now the company are declining to comment as you’d expect.

Of all the companies releasing mobile phones Sony is the best placed to introduce such a handset. It has the hardware experience, the portable gaming experience, and the mobile phone experience. Isn’t it a given that this device will happen one day?

The thing that muddies the waters for Sony is the PSP. For now it is the company’s mobile gaming platform and introducing a mobile phone games machine could kill the PSP dead. Consumers would be wondering what the difference is, and which one to buy. Sony would be left trying to market both of them and keeping a distinction between them.

If Sony is going to release a PlayStation phone then I think it will be the PSP2. It makes the most sense to continue that single mobile platform offering for games and not confuse the market. What we may see is a PSP2 mobile and a PSP2go mirroring what the iPhone and the iPod touch currently do. If you want a mobile phone and a games machine you buy the PSP2 mobile, alternatively just the gaming mobile with no phone is the PSP2go.

I think I’d be more concerned if Sony didn’t create a team to look into gaming on a mobile phone. Apple has already proven how popular it is with consumers and how much of a threat the iPhone platform is to other companies pushing mobile gaming devices. Sony would be naive to ignore such a threat.

Reader Comments

Synthmeister

Problem is, Sony has to come up with more then just some hardware. They still need a 21st century mobile OS, a cheap and easy game developers platform and a drop-dead easy distribution system. Apple has been putting all these pieces together for eight years now starting with the original iPod and iTunes store and OS X. Not sure what Sony has been doing for the last eight years except for the lame ATRAC, mini-disc, memory stick and root-kits and letting the doofuses in the entertainment division ruin any innovation in the hardware division.